A plan to widen the Panama Canal (with a cost of $5 billion) has been approved by the Panamanian Congress. The 80km (50 mile) long Panama Canal handles nearly 5% of global trade. The current locks are 33 meters (108 feet) wide, and the new locks will be 50 meters (150 feet). A third lane of traffic will be able to handle the wider loads. Panama says the cost of the widening of the canal will be met from increased tolls, supplemented by a $2.3 billon loan.
A video on the Panama Canal Expension:
Reports of the expansion of the Panama Canal:
Master Plan - PanCanal.com